The Secret to Great Staycation Sex

The Secret to Great Staycation Sex

Dress up your duvet and invest in high-thread-count hotel sheets.

There’s a reason slipping under the sheets at a swanky hotel feels so amazing. The sheets usually have a higher thread count, which makes all the difference when you’re rolling around in ‘em sans PJs. Check out discount websites like overstock.com to upgrade your own bed linens (look for sheets with a minimum of 500 thread count) without spending a fortune. While you’re at it, search for a duvet cover in warm tones like reds, yellows and creams for a sexy vibe, suggests Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, founder of Apartment Therapy. “What you’re wearing is important to feeling sexy; it’s the same with your bed,” he says.

Minimize distractions.

Part of what makes vacation hookups so hot is that you’re not thinking about your never-ending to-do list. To mimic that carefree feeling in your bedroom, you have to adopt the same attitude. “You really have to be able to relax and let go of whatever is on your mind—whether it’s a sink full of dishes, a work deadline or a BlackBerry [buzzing],” says Ian Kerner, Ph.D., a New York City-based clinical sexologist. “You need to turn off the noise and get into a relaxed place where you feel like you have time for sex and intimacy.” So clean your bedroom first, set your DVR and, yes, switch off that cell phone.

Get it on in the afternoon.

“When most people have sex, it’s at the end of the night when they’re exhausted, and by the time they get there, they’re often not interested,” says Kerner. He suggests making time for sex—not just squeezing it in, if there’s time—and also picking a different time from what you’re used to. “It’s really the novelty of vacation that immediately plays into the brain’s sex wiring,” he explains. So work up an appetite before breakfast or get busy with the afternoon sun shining through your windows. You’ll feel much more satisfied—and less stressed—when you do crawl into bed at night.

Move your makeout session to another room.

Doing it in a new place feels adventurous, which is why it’s so fun to have sex in a new country or city. Get that same excitement at home by taking a vacation from the bedroom. “Simply making love in a different room changes your surroundings enough to make a sexual experience feel new and more exciting,” says Dr. Marianne Brandon, coauthor of Reclaiming Desire: 4 Keys to Finding Your Lost Libido. “Try in the shower, on the stairs or the back porch at night.”

Leave chocolate on your own pillow.

Chocolate might not be a scientifically proven aphrodisiac, but that doesn’t mean a bedside piece won’t help get you—and your man—in the mood. Leave one on your pillow before you go to work as a sexy “surprise” when you come home. Or try this tip: Guests at the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel are provided with an aphrodisiac welcome amenity, says spokeswoman Edwina Kluender. “Not the usual oysters or dark chocolate, but ginger.”

Pay attention to scents.

OK, so you can’t fake the palm trees or the ocean, but that doesn’t mean your room can’t feel like that sexy villa in the Bahamas. “What it comes down to is how can you stimulate your senses in a way that they’re stimulated when you’re on vacation,” Kerner says. “If you loved the Caribbean, maybe just use something that is scented like coconut, and that can trigger it.” Who needs palm trees when you’re planning on staying in bed all day anyway?

Remember, it’s called mood lighting for a reason.

You want to keep the lights off; your man wants to keep ‘em on. Sound familiar? Well, this is one of those times when a compromise—in the form of a dimmer—will make things hotter for both of you. “Lighting is very important,” says Gillingham-Ryan. “If you go the length to clean up your room and have cool sheets and bedding, it’s not going to make enough difference if you can’t see it.” He also recommends pairing floor-length mirrors and other reflective surfaces with candles for a sexy, flickering low light.

Order room service.

No, don’t ask the local pizzeria to drop your pie off bedside (unless of course you have a thing for the delivery guy). Cook or order in something out of the ordinary, like a fancy French recipe or an exotic Mediterranean dish. Then bring your meal into the bedroom and feed each other. “Eating your dinner in bed can feel like a special treat—like room service,” says Brandon. “And eating with your fingers makes the meal into foreplay!” Just avoid spicy dishes…you don’t want to have to stop short later when the chili pepper inevitably ends up somewhere other than your mouth.